That Weekend...

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  “I apologize for my mother,” she said. “I don’t know why she acts that way. But that’s not why I’m here. Just so you know, this isn’t about anything except us.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.” She put a finger to his lips and shushed him. “No talking.” If he started talking, she’d feel obligated to respond and all she wanted to do right now was feel. She stepped into the entryway of his town house and closed the door behind her.

  She hadn’t been to his place before, but he’d pointed it out one night on their way home from dinner. She saw now that he still hadn’t unpacked. There were moving boxes still piled in the living room and against the wall of the entryway. A couch sat in the living room, but there was no coffee table and the walls were empty.

  Ava didn’t care. She wasn’t here to chat about moving and packing or decorating and furniture. She wasn’t here to chat about anything.

  “Ava.”

  She silenced him with a kiss. The long, hot one that she should have received when he’d taken her home. He was breathing hard when she pulled back.

  “You sure about this?” he asked.

  She nodded. She was beyond sure. She slipped off her ballet flats and followed him up the stairs. He led her to his bedroom, his hands working at the buttons of her coat, stopping only to kiss her every few seconds. This was so much better than talking.

  Ava got a sense of a large bedroom, but maybe it only seemed that way was because there was nothing but a bed in it. A king-size bed with a fluffy comforter and puffy pillows. Ava gasped when Jake scooped her up and lifted her onto it.

  “I’ve got you,” he said as he lowered her. He was careful, as always, not to jar her broken wrist.

  “I know,” she whispered, but she didn’t have time to analyze what that might mean before he climbed on the bed, too. A sigh glided from her lips. She was on Jake’s bed. In his room. And she was about to get naked.

  He undid the few buttons on her coat that hadn’t yet been attacked and spread the material behind her. The way he watched her made her feel sexy and desirable. Even her cast seemed erotic, which was pretty remarkable for an inanimate object made of fiberglass.

  “I’ve wanted you from the first time I saw you,” he said.

  “Really?” Then she realized how needy that sounded and distracted him by telling him that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  His eyes lit up and he stripped her out of the coat and thin silk T-shirt in record time. She shivered and didn’t stop until he wrapped his arms around her. “You okay?”

  “Just a little cold, I guess.”

  He smiled. “I’ll warm you up.” Then he reached down to undo her jeans. The zipper made a soft sound, which was drowned out by the low growl in his throat.

  Ava could feel the hunger rolling off him and reveled in it. She lifted her hips so he could slide her jeans off, and then lay before him in just her underwear, which—because she didn’t want to be pulling a Bridget Jones with her granny panties in stretchy nylon—were small and lacy and the palest of pinks. Only La Perla would do on a night like this.

  “Wow.” Jake sucked the word in through his teeth.

  Ava felt her own need surge. “You like them?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  And from the speed with which he shucked off his own clothes, she guessed he did. She rolled to her side to watch the show, shamelessly checking out his butt. It really was a great butt. Her heart jittered when he finished and stood before her for a moment, proud and naked.

  She wanted to be naked with him.

  He lowered his body over hers, running his tongue along her neck. She clutched at his shoulder, her body beginning to ache. She was going to burst out of her skin pretty soon. She rubbed against him, wanting more and wanting it now.

  But Jake seemed to have his own plan for how things were going to unfold and he was relentless in his pursuit of it. Using his mouth, his fingers, his teeth, he tempted and tormented her until Ava was sure she would die from the exquisite pain of it all. But the whole time he never went past teasing. Forget bursting, she was talking volcanic eruption here.

  “Please,” she gasped. She couldn’t say anything more. She was too busy concentrating on breathing.

  He brushed a knuckle between her thighs. “Is this what you want?” When she closed her eyes on a sigh, he laughed, low and long. “Yeah?”

  Oh, yeah.

  He leaned down, so his mouth was beside her ear. His hand still hovered, deliciously close without actually touching. He was driving her right to the edge, and she was sure it wasn’t going to take much to push her straight over. “Tell me.”

  She opened her eyes and stared at him. “What?”

  His smile was slow. “Tell me what you want.”

  “What I...” She stumbled over the words. She was usually the silent type in bed, preferring to let her fingers do the talking, but it was impossible to deny the fact that his request had made her entire body pulse.

  “Talk to me,” he said, his fingers hovering just out of range.

  Ava swallowed. All right, then, so that’s how they were going to play this. She marshaled her reserves. “Touch me.”

  “Where?”

  He wanted her to spell it all out? She stared at him, not so sure about this little game.

  But then he leaned down, nuzzled her ear and whispered, “Trust me. Tell me what you want.”

  Intrigue joined uncertainty and the knowledge that in some surprising way, all this chatter was turning her on. She reached out and grasped his hand, then put it exactly where she meant. There. Much better.

  But as soon as she let go, Jake lifted his palm.

  “No,” she told him, feeling the cry of the lost contact. “Right there.”

  He bent his head again and licked the side of her neck. “Tell me.”

  Fire skidded through her body when she realized that he wasn’t going to let her half-ass her way out of it. If she wanted him to touch her, she was going to have to tell him. Fine. She would.

  “Put your hand between my legs.” She was silent until he did as she asked. “Now touch me.”

  “How?”

  She shot him a look, but he only looked back, waiting. So it was going to be like that, was it? Well, she was up to the task. “Stroke your fingers up and down,” she told him. He complied, sending a shower of pleasure reverberating through her. So good. So, so good.

  His thumb ran along the edge of her panties, then slowly began to worm its way under. Ava clamped her legs together even though it practically killed her. “I didn’t say you could touch me there.” Two could play at this game.

  He lifted an eyebrow in acknowledgment and stopped. Longing radiated from his eyes, but he didn’t move, awaiting her next command.

  She smiled. “Slide your fingers up and down, just like before. Over the top of the panties.” Her body itched to go further, but she wasn’t giving in that easily. She rode the delicate pleasure as it wafted through her, feeling the material between her legs grow hot and wet. “Now kiss my breasts. Slowly.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair as he lowered his head. His lips were amazing and Ava didn’t know how much longer she could keep this up, but she planned to enjoy it while she could.

  “Good.” Very good. He moaned against her skin and the vibration added to the sensations swarming her. She closed her eyes and exhaled. Jake might have started this little game, but she was going to finish it.

  “No more han
ds,” she told him, guessing just how close he was to losing control and wanting to see if she could push him to do it. “Just your mouth.”

  Another moan, but she could hear the pleasure behind it. He liked this just fine.

  He kissed his way down her stomach, leaving a trail of shivers behind. But her temperature soared when he caught the waistband of her underwear with his teeth. He paused there, eyebrows raised.

  She raised an eyebrow back. “I said no hands.”

  Lace scraped over her thighs as he wriggled them off and then he was back. Lust sparked through her, making her back arch and her legs shake.

  Oh, my God.

  She didn’t notice when his hands rejoined the party, didn’t care. She felt good, so good that all she wanted was more. More of this. More of him.

  Lust and need twined together, creating a desire so overwhelming that she didn’t know if her body could contain it. It shuddered through her, growing bigger before finally crashing through her like waves on the shore.

  It was a while before either of them moved.

  “Wow,” she finally said.

  Jake lifted his head from the crook of her neck where he’d buried it after collapsing on top of her, and grinned down at her. “Good?”

  “Way better than good.” Like never-before-in-this-lifetime good. Sell-your-firstborn-child good. Give-up-your-Louboutin-shoes good.

  “I’m glad.” He shifted off her and laid his head on her stomach. She ran her fingers through his thick dark hair, enjoying the way it spilled through her fingers like silk. He turned to face her. “How’s your wrist?”

  Wrist? What wrist? She glanced down at her cast as though it belonged to someone else. “It’s fine. Doesn’t hurt at all.” But seeing as her body was still pulsing with hormonal release, that didn’t really come as a surprise.

  He nodded. Then kissed his way up her body and nipped the side of her neck.

  “Hey, stop that.” She pushed at him. “I work on camera. I can’t show up with a big hickey.”

  He caught her hands and pressed them back into the mattress. “You can wear a turtleneck.”

  “I don’t have any,” she said, angling her neck to make it more difficult for him. “And I don’t recall telling you that hands were allowed yet.”

  Jake laughed and let go, but kept his face pressed between the smooth curve of her shoulder and neck. “Okay, no hands.” She felt his teeth flash against her skin.

  “No hickeys, either.”

  “I like the idea of marking you. How about a little one?”

  “No.” She twisted sideways, but he merely moved to her other side, where his tongue began tracing delicate patterns that were making her forget what she was supposed to be saying. Ava fought for sanity. “I’m not kidding. No hickeys. Makeup will not cover them and then everyone will know what I’ve been doing.”

  “Was it so bad that you want to forget?” Another lick.

  She shivered. “Looking for an ego stroke?”

  “It’s not my ego that needs stroking.” When he shifted his hips, she felt the length of him harden. Her body flamed in response.

  All at once, his hands were everywhere, hard and soft, cool and warm. She’d have rather cut out her own tongue than remind him of the no-hands rule now. He played across her body, leaving tiny rivers of need in his wake. Her breathing increased. Her eyes slipped shut.

  And as quickly as he’d started, he stopped.

  What now? He was using his hands, but she wasn’t complaining. What was the problem? Her eyes popped open to find out.

  “Much better.” He was smiling down at her. “I want you to look at me this time.” His voice caressed her body and made her all melty inside.

  Their eyes met and held. “Why?”

  “Because I want you to watch me when I make you come again.”

  Little shocks of pleasure began to rain through her when he slipped back inside her. But she didn’t look away, didn’t even blink. Just watched the way his eyes never left hers. Never looked anywhere but at her as he drove himself deep inside her.

  ENTNEWSNOW.COM/AVASBLOG

  Cohost Amazingness!

  Filling in for Miss Danica for the next two weeks. I tried to talk her into staying away permanently, but she told me no, that it’s just a vacation.

  I’ll do my best to live up to her most excellent standards.

  Also (I know I told you that I’d spilled everything about Rockdale...I lied...get over it), there are just a few more celebrity secrets to share. I’ll be unveiling them all week. Unless you don’t care if George is a briefs or boxers man?

  Kiss kiss,

  Ava

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  JAKE BOOKED AN EDITING suite for Thursday evening, feeling pretty good about life. After Ava’s apology, he was sure that she understood that her role with the pilot was only temporary. As for what had happened after? That would put a smile on anyone’s face.

  He returned his attention to editing the travel-show pilot, which was why he’d booked the suite in the first place, watching the tape through a couple of times, noting spots that showcased the city or Ava particularly well. Normally, he wouldn’t use company resources for a personal project, but he’d spoken to Harvey and they’d agreed that as long as it was after hours and didn’t create extra work for anyone else, it was fine. Jake had even offered to pay for the time, but Harvey had refused the money, telling Jake to think of it as repayment for stepping in to help out the station.

  Ava still refused to arrive with him in the morning, but she was helping out tonight with the editing of the pilot. He told himself that he needed her for voice-overs as well as her keen eye for how to improve the flow of the show, but it was more than that.

  He needed her.

  He’d been in the editing suite for about thirty minutes when he heard the door open.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Ava said. She was still wearing full studio makeup though she’d pulled her hair into a ponytail. “Tommy was feeling a little insecure about his stumble.” Harvey’s nephew had flubbed one of his lines earlier this evening and since they shot live, there was no way to cover it. “I had to find that YouTube clip of the time I freaked out when that spider crawled up my leg to show him that it really wasn’t a big deal.”

  “There’s a YouTube clip of you with a spider?”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘with.’ It’s mostly me running around screaming, ‘Get it off. Get if off.’ While the crew laughs hysterically in the background. Not one of my finer moments.”

  Jake laughed and reached for her. They’d kept their promise to maintain a professional distance when colleagues were around, but it wasn’t easy. Not when Jake wanted to kiss and touch her every chance he got. He’d taken to watching the show from the booth this week rather than being on the floor, which he usually preferred, because it gave him a larger buffer. Even then, he felt his fingers itch with desire. He lowered his face to her hair and inhaled the orange scent of her shampoo, but didn’t say anything.

  After a few minutes, she tilted her head to look at him, but stayed within the circle of his arms. “Hey, you okay?”

  “Not really. I talked to Harvey about investing.”

  And though Harvey had given him the courtesy of listening, he hadn’t been interested. Harvey was looking to ease his workload, not increase it. He wanted to use his free time to groom Tommy. “Succession planning,” he’d told Jake, which made Jake feel worse.

  B
ack in the day, upon graduation from Ryerson University with his degree in radio and television, his father hadn’t been able to shunt him off on someone else quick enough. There had never been any mention of Jake taking over the family business.

  “You did?” Ava’s eyebrows jumped into the middle of her forehead.

  “He said no,” Jake told her before she could get too excited. “But we have the meeting with the airline scheduled for next week. If that goes well, we might not need an investor.”

  “Or you’ll have your choice of them once they hear there’s a buyer on board.”

  When the possibility of meeting a group of executives from an airline had first come up, Jake had wanted to hold off. He’d wanted the money situation in hand first, but when that showed no signs of happening, he’d revisited the idea.

  At the rate things were moving, if he waited for an investor to get on board, he’d still be waiting to pitch the show on his deathbed. So Alex had called in a favor with an old contact and scheduled an appointment for next Friday, which meant Jake had just over a week to make the pilot perfect, practice his pitch and get himself out to Toronto.

  Ava gave him one more squeeze and then lowered herself into one of the rolling chairs, kicking off her heels at the same time. “Does that mean you’re leaving the list alone until after the meeting?”

  “No.” Jake pulled out the piece of paper from his back pocket. He wasn’t sure why he was keeping it on him, as there was no hope left on it. “There’s nothing to leave alone. Crossed them all off.” He handed it over so she could see each line. “Every name.”

  She scanned it and then raised her eyebrows at him. “You called them all?”

  “I called them all,” he confirmed. “And then I called people they’d recommended.”

  “And you’re telling me no one was interested?” She shook her head. “I can’t believe that.”